ANOTHER BRUIN IN HIS LAIR. 169 



through breaking branches was very distinct, and at last 

 a bear broke cover. Throwing himself without hesitation 

 down a precipice of about ten feet, he came towards me 

 as fast as his legs would carry him. I stood still to see 

 how near he would come. At about fifty paces distance 

 he winded me, stopped short in his career, snuffed the air 

 for an instant, and then made off in a different direction. 

 I seized the opportunity offered, and sent him a ball ; 

 but I was not quite cool enough, and only wounded him in 

 the hip. Meantime, the dogs having been stopped by the 

 bluff which Bruin had so unceremoniously disposed of, he 

 gained a good space in advance ; but the wound checked 

 his speed, and I could soon distinguish by the dogs' bark 

 that they had come up with him again, but they were 

 keeping out of reach of his paws. A young man named 

 Erskine, who was shooting near us, attracted by the re- 

 port of my gun and the barking of the dogs, came up 

 and gave the mortal wound. The two Conwells joined 

 soon after, and we broke him up together. 



Erskine told us that he had found a cave, which he 

 was sure contained a bear,' and asked one of us to go 

 with him and try it, as he had neither torches or wax 

 candles. I was ready at once, took one of the candles, 

 and explaining to the others where they might find us, 

 we set off, and reached the place about sunset. We first 

 made a large fire before the entrance of the cave, and 

 then crept into it, Erskine preceding. Further on, the 

 passage grew larger, so that we could walk upright, side 

 by side. After going some distance, we heard the regu- 

 lar low whine of the bear, who was sucking his paws, and 

 Erskine, also a regular bear-hunter, asserted that he was 



